An Unlikely Prospect
by Lioneh
Summary: How can a mere mistake, an accident, shock events into action like falling dominoes? When Zack apprehends Genesis at Modeoheim, a Turk by the name of Cissnei finds herself entangled inside a situation she could never expect. Eventual GenesisxCissnei.
1. Apprehensions

Title; An unlikely prospect

Themes; Angst, hurt/comfort, and romance. Possibly friendship too. :3

Summary; How can a mere mistake, an accident, shock events into action like falling dominoes? When Zack apprehends Genesis at Modeoheim, a Turk by the name of Cissnei finds herself tangled inside a situation she could never expect.

Rating; T

Pairings; Eventual GenesisxCissnei, but none hinted in this chapter. No yaoi, _ever_.

A/N: Go ahead, shoot me. |D It's another Genesisnei idea, with far less direction than my other story, Imaginings of You. It'll be angsty and filled with many moments where you'll want to snuggle Gen and cheer him up. But Cissnei's got that covered. Sshh!

Anyway, I'm not quite sure where this will lead, but I'm loving the concept. So, go forth and read! :D

* * *

_'An Unlikely Prospect' __  
__Chapter I ~ Apprehensions  
_

It all began with one lucky hit; an accidental manoeuvre.

Before that fateful moment of time, the conflict had been raging on for what seemed like an eternity, SOLDIER and monster locked in fierce combat. Another onslaught made by one, another parry protecting the other, a sequence of sword strokes and seemingly choreographed footwork as the two figures performed their dance of death.

One's routine was cut short, however, as the other stabbed their sword effortlessly through wing muscle.

Zack Fair was almost horrified at his misguided aim, intending to only block the crimson rapier of his opponent but instead plunging his standard issue sword straight through the wing of Genesis Rhapsodos.

The rogue first class let out a howl in pain, temporarily stunned as the younger SOLDIER kept him pinned against the cold metal railing, blood dribbling down his feathers.

Despite his guilt about causing Genesis unintended agony, Zack was not one to miss an opportunity. Quickly assessing the situation, he managed to grasp the redhead's right hand as he flinched, twisting his wrist until Genesis was forced to release the handle of his rapier. The crimson sword hit the metal floor with a resounding clang, indicative of the conflict's surprising conclusion.

Genesis writhed in pure anguish, barely able to mount a resistance from the burning that coursed through his damaged wing. Twisting and turning as he might, his struggling amounted to nothing as his injuries and degrading illness got the better of him, forcing him to his knees despite his awkward position. A wave of exhaustion swept over him, sweat trailing down his neck as his heart hammered inside his chest, fearful of the events he was certain would follow.

Zack truly wished he could remove that sword, but in doing so, he knew the madness of Genesis and his degrading sanity would continue - and the desire to prevent that and obey orders was stronger than his sense of pity.

But even then, he could not kill.

Not a fellow SOLDIER who still had remnants of reason left - not Angeal's best friend.

"What…what are you waiting for…?" Genesis faltered, hardly ready to admit defeat and accept his fate. He could barely tolerate the screaming agony coursing through his stab wounds, the feelings alone turning him faint in the head. "Do the deed - _kill me._"

"No."

Zack turned his head away, his duties filling him with a feeling of dread. He knew if he wasn't the one to kill Genesis, ShinRa undoubtedly would - probably in ways much more akin to torture.

But he just couldn't have that blood on his hands - he couldn't do that to those who still cared remotely about the winged SOLDIER. Sephiroth, however stoic his appearances were, would suffer from internal torment at the loss of a comrade once close to him.

"I'm sorry, Genesis."

Turning back around, the young SOLDIER suppressed his hesitation and promptly gave the rogue SOLDIER a sharp punch in the side of the head, undoubtedly knocking him out. As soon as Zack saw the figure of Genesis crumple from being unconscious, he eased his sword out of the redhead's wing. _At least he won't feel anything for now…_

Stepping back slightly, Zack began digging for the PHS located in the pocket of his pants. His eyes darted about the body of Genesis, creased with pity and sadness over his fallen figure as he pulled his PHS to his ear. _Maybe there's reception down here…_

"Zack." A blunt voice crackled through the speaker of his phone.

"Ah…Tseng?" Zack mumbled, a little jumpy from the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.

"Speaking. What is it?"

"I've, uh…immobilised the target."

"You did not kill him?" Tseng asked with a reserved tone.

"I know…it was orders, and all…"

"But you just couldn't do it, could you?" Zack could almost hear the sigh in the Turk's voice. "What is his condition?"

"Unconscious, and bleeding."

"I'll send for reinforcements. Don't forget to make sure he remains entirely disarmed."

Zack thought about this for a moment, unsure of what the Turk was asking until it clicked in his mind. _Ah. Materia. Weapons. Gotcha. _

"Will do, Tseng. Watch for copies."

The young SOLDIER suppressed the urge to roll his eyes as the line dropped dead - Tseng was never the one for long conversations, was he? With a heavy sigh he dismissed his irritation and focused on the job at hand, however much he was dreading it. _Okay. Materia first._

Stepping towards Genesis with hesitation, Zack slowly stooped down in front of his unconscious form and took hold of his left wrist, sliding the sleeve of leather up his arm.

Oh.

_Oh._

The SOLDIER blinked with shock, seeing what appeared to be a very expensive accessory which was banded around Genesis' forearm, no doubt loaded with mastered, dangerous materia only harnessed by the best.

Beyond that, however, was just bare skin…that…

…appeared to be mottled with the scars of degradation.

Zack pulled a face, one of disgust but mixed with an almost sympathetic emotion as he quickly undid the unsurprising leather strap around the wide band of materia. Carefully, he eased it off the fallen SOLDIER's muscled forearm and pulled the leather sleeve down, resting Genesis' hand where it was before.

Holding the strap into the dim light of the mako excavation facility, he was astonished to observe the quality of materia embedded inside; summons, mastered magic, and a few he couldn't identify. Goddess knew what other summons he hadn't used in his arsenal yet…

Standing up, Zack pocketed the leather accessory strap and then took a step to his left, bending his knees to close his hand around the hilt of the intricate rapier. He lifted the sword up from the grated floor, pale light glinting off the blade as he manoeuvred it, quite surprised at the actual length in comparison to his shorter, heavier sword. _No wonder he managed to clip me a few times…_

"…should I wait?" Zack murmured to himself as he slipped the elegant sword through his belt strap, never the one to capture enemies of ShinRa terribly often. He could only assume that Tseng had managed to call for another helicopter and it was simply a task of waiting for a few more troops to arrive.

At least for now.

"Hmm…" the young SOLDIER gave a hesitant sigh, taking a glance at his surroundings.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.

If he were going to be waiting, there was still the remote chance that the effects of his punch to the side of the ex-SOLDIER's head would wear off, even though five minutes had barely elapsed after his defeat. Despite the fact that Genesis was incapacitated in terms of flying and was probably exhausted, Zack did not doubt his ability to resist or attempt an escape. _Better restrain him too_.

To his displeasure, Zack produced a tightly coiled strap from his other pocket located in his baggy pants, feeling uncomfortable being so close to the other man but also in tying him up like an animal, _a monster_. It wasn't very dignifying, and he knew Genesis would not be thrilled by the time his consciousness returned._ Just suck it up like a man, Zack._

And that he did, quickly returning to the redhead's side and grasping both his hands behind his back, uncoiling part of the strap and tying it in a complex knot he had learned during his younger years. He hesitated before side stepping a little, hands hovering over the arching wing belonging to Genesis. Sucking in a breath, Zack took hold of the edge of muscle near the large primary feathers, tentatively retracting it towards redhead's tattered shoulder. Biting his lip, he then proceeded to take the other strap he had and bound it around the huge feathers, pressing them against Genesis' side as he wrapped the cord around his waist. After securing another cord around the his legs, Zack quickly stepped away, guilt edging in his heart seeing the once proud SOLDIER so pitifully degraded, tied up like some mongrel.

With a defeated sigh, Zack ceremoniously sat down on the cold floor and waited, eyes glancing at his hollow surroundings and occasionally at Genesis to check his condition.

He closed his eyes briefly, already twitchy at the lack of activity.

It was going to be a long wait.

* * *

The first thing he opened his eyes to was pain; pure _agony, _pulsing through his entire body like a fire consuming him from the inside.

The force of it was enough to send shuddering convulsions throughout his weak figure, pitiful cries turning his eyes damp as he struggled to clear his hazy vision. Panic struck him as he felt the restraints, his muscles pulling against the tightly coiled straps as best he could, which was poor in comparison to his normal strength. _Goddess…where am-_

"Watch it."

Genesis craned his neck around, searching for the source of the voice as he tried to remember what exactly he was doing, bound and exhausted, against a freezing metal floor. Before too long his brain kicked into gear as he managed to catch sight of the puppy, who was watching him intently with wide eyes.

In reminiscence of his pitiful sobs of pain, a scowl formed on the redhead's face, embarrassment seeping into him as he struggled to pull himself into a kneeling position. He despised the fact that he was so vulnerable, so exposed, _so weak_, especially in front of that runt of Angeal's who had _defeated_ him. At those thoughts, realisation dawned in his mind - that puppy had refused to kill him, meaning…

…he was bound for ShinRa. _Torture…hell…death…_

He refused to let his apprehension or fear display on his facial features, but the shadows of fright reflected in his eyes - he could tell, because Zack's facial features had softened to show slight compassion.

"Save your pity," Genesis spat, turning his throbbing head away, "though you are taking me to the hounds of hell."

Zack remained silent, wishing his ever growing guilt would cease.

"I suppose…it would be a _monster's_ fate," the redhead murmured quietly, suppressing bitter emotion from his voice.

That was when the puppy spat out his invisible muzzle.

"You - we're not monsters!" Zack said defensively, scrambling to his feet as if to make his point clearer. Genesis suppressed a sadistic chuckle; he'd seen enough of himself to know he was a monster, without a doubt. All he needed was a self reflection, or a touch of feathers.

Fortunately, Zack was then distracted by his PHS, clambering to find his mobile cellular device in his pocket. The brief thought of escape crossed Genesis' mind, but his desire to fulfil these actions was cut short as energy seeped out of his body; exhaustion sweeping over his form. The redhead took deep breaths, trying to cope as his muscles ached and throbbed, worked to their capacity from the previous conflict and deterioration.

_Goddess… my wing… _Genesis visibly winced at the painful throbs pulsing through his tightly restrained appendage, longing to stretch the feathers to have it sit more comfortably.

He sighed heavily, deciding to eavesdrop on the puppy's phone conversation as a distraction.

"…he's still down, but awake…yeah, I'm still watching him…ah! They're here?…alright…what? Isn't that a little extreme?…fair enough, I guess…yeah, _thanks_." The young SOLDIER gave a frustrated sigh as he snapped his phone shut.

Despite Genesis' intentions of keeping a tough exterior, his eyebrows creased in worry as Zack slipped his phone away. _One wonders what exactly is meant by 'extreme'…_

He suspected his questioning would receive a swift answer as he detected the footfalls of ShinRa dogs rattling the aging platforms of the excavation facility, orders barked sharply and loudly to one another. Zack himself became aware of their presences mere seconds afterwards, and Genesis found himself staring down the blade of a standard regulation SOLDIER sword that the puppy was wielding as a precaution.

"Don't struggle," Zack mumbled, knowing inside that if Genesis physically resisted, his pain would be tenfold. Sedation whilst standing wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, considering losing one's balance would result in substantial pain when connecting with a harsh metal floor.

Of course, Genesis was unaware of what kind of situation was upon him. Despite Zack's pitiful warning, he painfully struggled to his feet, ignoring the press of a sword against his neck. The puppy had already demonstrated 'mercy' once, so he knew that attempting resistance would not cost him his life. At least at the hands of Zack, however.

Zack took a hissing breath, unsuccessfully trying to suppress his guilt at the pain the redhead would face. He barely had time to gather his thoughts when the his fellow troops had arrived, swords thrust forward towards Genesis. All kept their expressions stoic underneath their masks, many refusing to acknowledge the fact that a man they had trusted and placed their lives with was now violently opposed to their cause.

"I see the _hounds _have arrived," Genesis snarled, his expression menacing as he stared down the troops before him. Each SOLDIER maintained their stance, eyes locked forward as the rogue before them glanced at each one, challenging them with a glare that betrayed his true anxiety.

Genesis retained the edge of malice in his voice, despite his pitiful appearance. "What, dare I say, are we waiting f-"

His voice, filled with bitterness, was suddenly replaced by a startled cry.

Zack and a few of his fellow comrades restrained a wince as Genesis frantically shook his head this way and that, trying to locate the reason behind his apparent discomfort like a wounded animal. Crouching behind the line of SOLDIERs was an experienced sharpshooter, who was already reloading his tranquiliser gun in the event a second dosage was needed.

Before another second elapsed, Genesis had locked his gaze upon a jagged dart protruding from his right arm, eyes widening as realisation dawned in his mind. _They've…they're…sedating me? Like a…monster?_

The rogue SOLDIER became physically alarmed, feeling consciousness gradually and painfully slipping away as his thoughts began to run together, forming an incoherent stream of panic. All knowledge that he was being held at sword point, bound and tied like a beast, drifted from his mind as he awkwardly slid to his knees, eyes wide with confusion. He paid no attention to the tips of metal that followed his neck during his movement, all manner of adult reason escaping his mind to leave him with nothing more than a simple, childlike wonderment that he was feeling _awfully tired._

He barely managed another thought before the darkness of unconsciousness claimed him. He remembered…falling, and then…

* * *

A/N; WHEE NEW STORY IDEA

Yep.

This one popped into my head months and months ago, because progress on Imaginings of You was slowling waayy down due to a block.

And so I thought of another idea. :D

I hope you're all intrigued. Mwhaha.

Bwaahhh angsty sad GenGen i_i

- Lioneh

**Disclaimer: Genesis Rhapsodos, Zack Fair, SOLDIER, Modeoheim and everything else related to FFVII belongs to Square Enix. Not me. D: **


	2. Opportunities

_'An Unlikely Prospect'  
Chapter II ~ Opportunities_

_Thud._

"…"

_Thud._

"…mm…"

_Thud._ "Get up."

"…what…?"

Another sharp kick. _Thud._ "I said, _get up."_

He sucked in a breath, pain rushing to his chest. His reflexes were the only thing that prevented him from receiving another harsh boot to his ribs as he shifted his body weight to the left.

"Do you mind?" Genesis snarled, weakly, eyes flicking open to see the masked face of a ShinRa gunman of the infantry towering over him. _Where…am I?_

"You are wanted for multiple accounts of murder, abuse, assault and treason, _rogue_," the gunman spat, thumping the handle of a rifle against the ex-SOLDIER's side. "Of course I mind. _Now get up._"

Normally, this tone from an inferior troop would have caused an angry reprimand from Genesis as a commander, but such a remark was inappropriate for his current situation. He was a renegade. He was an experimental _monster._ He was _dying._

And right now, he had a gun pointed between his eyes.

Naturally, he wanted to play his cards very carefully. He had fought so hard, so long, just to keep life in his hands, and to lose it to such a primal impulse would be foolish indeed.

Painfully, Genesis rolled onto his stomach and put his hands beneath himself in an attempt to push himself upward. He visibly winced, cursing his degradation as he found he was quite unsteady on his hands and knees. Goddess, he was _shaking_ like a leaf. _He was scared out of his wits._

He gave his head a subtle shake, closing his eyes as he sent one last bust of energy into his limbs. Blessedly, he was able to pull himself into a technically upright position, masking his emotions as best he could. Carefully, he glanced his pale cerulean eyes about the room he was in, noticing the bigwigs of ShinRa standing to the far right, a few SOLDIERs to the far left, _and a line of five infantry gunmen in the centre._

Realisation dawned on him then, like a gunshot in dead silence.

_They were going to kill him._

All his efforts, all his running…those attempts to flee, to heal himself, would amount to _nothing_.

Everything, gone. _Worthless._

"Former SOLDIER 1st Class, Genesis Rhapsodos, has been brought here today to account for the crimes of treachery, manslaughter, assault…" the words of a legal figure, no doubt hired by ShinRa, filtered out of his distressed mind as he stared down the steel barrels before him, eyes picking out the finer details of rust and flecks of gunpowder marring the silver surface.

That was the catch about guns. They were impersonal.

Unlike swords that bared blades tainted deliberately with crimson, guns spared themselves this atrocity and did the job with a single, tiny bullet. They themselves were not marked with the blood of their victims, hence their use for jobs such as these which required objectivity and insensitivity. _Execution._

At that point, Genesis heard the gloating words of Heidegger boast his disloyalties to the other SOLDIERs present, using his ruined life as a testimony to show how sinful it truly was to betray ShinRa. Each act listed against Genesis pelted him like a stone, stabbed him like a knife.

He could never, ever be a role model.

_He would never be a hero._

He swallowed past the growing lump in his throat, his weak heart speeding up at the sight of the firing squad preparing their weapons.

What a dishonourable way to leave this world; defeated, injured and dying.

And what a pathetic and monstrous course in life he took. He could only pray the arms of the Lifestream would be welcoming in their embrace, ignorant of the monster entering their midst.

"Former SOLDIER, Genesis Rhapsodos."

Genesis blinked.

His name. They said it. They wanted his attention.

His gaze travelled towards the individual dealing with his legal affairs.

"Please stand upright, with your arms to your sides, and feet slightly apart. Your…additional limb should be unfurled."

Begrudgingly, Genesis did what was required, clenching a fist in agony as felt his damaged wing muscles extending, feathers sticky with clotted blood.

"You are hereby sentenced to death based on the severity of your actions over the past twelve months. Evidently, your means of punishment lies in the hands of an experienced firing squad that will end your life as quickly and humanely as possible."

_What a joke_, Genesis thought feverishly, sweat breaking out on his forehead as his thoughts raced. He could not believe somebody of his aesthetic would perish as a winged demon; a fading soul marred with both physical and spiritual scarring that would never heal. His only hope had been to die with dignity, free from his past life of mistakes. _What a pathetic wish._

How much was this going to hurt?

He'd been shot several times in his life from mistakes on the battlefield, he knew. Those wounds had hurt like _hell, _at least for a while. But a cure materia and medical attention spared him complications.

Were they going to fire all at once?

Would they aim for his heart, or his entire body?

How long would it take?

Would anyone remember his fina-

"Load your weapons." A booming voice interrupted his frantic train of thought, coming from a commanding officer in ShinRa's army. Genesis noticed a shuffling of movement and heard a distinct click, indicating each rifle was primed and ready.

The ex-SOLDIER swallowed again, nervously, trying to mask his rising terror. Each rapid heartbeat produced a rounded _thud_ inside his chest, signifying the finality of his situation.

He desperately searched for some form of comfort, barely finding a sense of ease in the words of LOVELESS. _Dreams of the morrow, hath the shattered soul….pride is lost, wings stripped away…_

…_the end is nigh._

"Take your aim."

Oh Goddess.

_He was going to die._

He squeezed his eyes shut like a child, dismayed at the dampness of tears forming around his lashes.

In this final moment, every last sensation he would ever experience came rushing to his awareness…the dampness of his eyes, the pain lancing through his muscles, the feel of leather against his skin…the gentle currents of air ruffling his feathers…

Despite all his ideologies of who he was, he held on to that last sensation, because it was the last pleasurable feeling he could ever fathom.

Fearfully, his fine hearing detected the tightening of leather against metal; gloved fingers on a trigger.

This was it.

"And…"

He shuddered, bracing himself.

"Fire-!"

"-that is enough!"

Genesis let out an agonized scream, completely unaware of the events unfolding around him as his eyes darted to the bullet wound in his right forearm, a spreading rosette of crimson. Awkwardly, he collapsed to his knees, cradling his arm in an attempt to stop the bleeding. It seemed that even though the order was ceased at the last moment, the reflexes of one shooter had failed to prevent him from triggering his rifle.

Meanwhile, the attention of all ShinRa staff present was drawn to the figure of Professor Hojo, who stood by the entrance to the room. "Incompetent fools!" he barked, voice scathing, "how could you even conceive of wasting such an important specimen?"

"But sir," the army officer protested, "it was directed by the President himself!"

"Clearly, the plans have changed," the Professor glared. "It seems I arrived just in time to spare this monster from the fate of death."

_Hojo…?_ Genesis felt his eyes widen as he realised the source of the interruption, his mind hazy in dealing with his newly acquired injury. _Why would that insufferable scientist possibly need a failure?_

"Understood," the commander nodded, stepping down. "Shall he be taken to your facilities?"

"Obviously," the Professor said dryly, motioning with his hand. "Gather him up, and bring him to the floor of the Science Department."

With a salute, the army officer nodded. "Soldiers! Get him up!"

Genesis fought the primal urge to growl menacingly at them, knowing that in this situation resistance would not serve him well. Ropy arms of infantry underlings dragged him up and restrained him, forcing him to walk gracelessly towards another place of trauma.

Though he had evaded the clutches of a painful death this time, he knew there was much worse to come.

But even in these dire circumstances, he would treasure every breath of air that departed his lungs.

Life was too precious to be taken for granted.

He had learned that the hard way.

* * *

_Ding!_

"_Attention to all ShinRa staff: this elevator terminates at floor fifty-nine. To travel higher, please step out of this elevator and make use of the continuing lift beside it. Please note that a special key card is required for travel to floors beyond this point." _

A hand, sporting fingerless gloves, flashed a key card in bored response to this standard announcement. _Got it covered. I've heard this announcement far too many times._

With an air of feigned disdain, Cissnei of the Turks stepped out into the empty foyer that comprised the majority of ShinRa's fifty-ninth floor. Automatically she turned on her heel to head towards the adjoining lift that would complete her journey, only to pause suddenly at a loud sign sticky-taped across the metal doors.

"Elevator currently under maintenance. Will be working ASAP. Management." Cissnei dictated these words from the sign with a distinct sigh, bitterly resigned to her fate of using the stairs. _Look on the bright side. It's exercise, right?_

"Never mind the meeting I'm currently late for," she murmured, trying her best to see the better side of the situation. "No use moping, Cissnei. Up the stairs we go."

In compliance to her own advice, she trudged along to the other side of the floor and, after a swipe of her key card, eased open the emergency door that led to the endless flights of stairs spiralling upwards to the restricted floors.

Wordlessly, she lightly gripped the rail and began her ascent.

However, she had only cleared one flight of stairs before the door leading to the sixtieth floor burst open, forcing her to scoot to the side as four figures struggled into the space. Her ochre eyes widened in curiosity as she saw three members of ShinRa's army roughly handling another individual, who had what resembled a cloth bag over his head. From what she could see, the man was wearing a tattered red cloak and heavy black boots, but his back was to her as he was forced further up the stairs. In a brief moment, one of the infantrymen shuffled to the side, revealing a dark mass of feathers drawn tightly against red leather.

Cissnei blinked, unable to fathom the scene before her as she hesitantly waited for the group to distance themselves from her. From what she saw, it almost looked as though ShinRa had gotten hold of a genetic copy of Genesis Rhapsodos, the rogue SOLDIER 1st Class. Though she had not been heavily involved with the incidents surrounding his desertion or very familiar with the renegade SOLDIER himself, she could recognise the feathers were of his origin. Coupled with the clothing, her suspicions were confirmed. What they could possibly hope to gain with a mindless clone, however, was beyond her.

After a small amount of time, when she was sure the group was several flights above her, Cissnei began her ascent to the sixty-sixth floor of the ShinRa building, busily formulating a convincing excuse for her lack of punctuality.

* * *

Later that day, fate had not been terribly merciful.

Resentfully, Cissnei found herself trudging up those same stairs yet again, this time on a 'mission' to deliver some 'very important' files to an 'impatient and demanding' scientist who demanded these files _right away._ Firstly, she had to wade through endless filing cabinets searching for the wretched documents on ShinRa's forty-fifth floor, the archives department. Then, after passing through her office again to organise herself with her task, she had been imploringly wheedled into making Reno a coffee.

And now she was forced to trudge stair after stair to perform this menial task that should have been given to a bored secretary.

But _noooo. _

Only _she _had the clearance rights of a key card to be travelling this far. And she, being such a _loyal _Turk, had no other choice but to oblige, since the subject of her undercover surveillance mission, Zack Fair, was currently off duty. But she supposed he had a legitimate excuse, what with the very recent passing of his mentor and close friend.

Fleetingly, Cissnei cast a glance upwards, seeing with relief the block numbers '67' printed crudely on the wall in front of her. At least she could give her legs a graceful rest from constantly pushing up cold metal stairs. Nudging at the handle with a spare finger, she pried the heavy door open and sidled her way inside the Science Department of ShinRa Electric Power Company. If she could quickly find the Professor, drop the files off and leave, she might be able to find herself the time to sit down and have a tea break.

But such luck was unlikely. The 'impatient and demanding' scientist was nowhere to be found, at least on this floor of the Science Department. Her eyes nervously glanced about the cold metal walls, eyes raking every surface for signs that the Professor was actually around. All she detected was half a cold mug of coffee discarded on one of the work benches.

Was it really wise to simply leave the files on his desk? As far as she knew, the documents she held were quite confidential and critical in their nature. She knew it was against protocol to check their contents, and she had every intention to abide by this rule. Maybe she should simply wait a few minutes for the scientist to return?

Despite her initial anxiety, Cissnei felt curiosity grow inside of her as she cautiously crept around the various workbenches, edging forward to look around the half twist in the room's structure. Beyond the wall obstructing her vision, her eyes came to rest upon a large dark shadow occupying one section of the laboratory floor. Upon closer inspection she could make out large black feathers, shafts reflecting faintly off the dull lighting. She almost felt sympathetic for whatever creature Professor Hojo held captive here, speculating that these wings belonged to either a chocobo, or a wild gryphon.

From all observations, the animal or monster appeared to be either asleep or heavily sedated…and part of her longed to touch the glossy black feathers unfurled before her. The notion of having wings had been close to her heart ever since she was a little girl, and to feel such softness beneath her fingers would be so…just…

_Just one touch, okay?_ Cissnei reasoned, knowing there was a high risk factor in touching an unpredictable specimen before her that she knew nothing about. Hesitantly, she edged closer, sliding to her knees as she slowly stretched her hand forward. As soon as her small fingers brushed against the black softness, she was rapt, lost in the dreams of her younger years where in her mind the world was a patchwork of fields and lakes and forests, greens and browns and blues, and she was a bird, an angel, soaring through the skies…

Beneath her fingers, the wing shifted, instantly causing her to draw back and scoot away for fear that this creature was waking up. But whatever it was simply shifted about in slumber before settling again, only this time Cissnei could just see beyond the huge feathers.

She bit back a startled cry at what she saw.

To the left of the wing, from her view, was a _human face_.

Recovering from her initial shock, she hurriedly scooted around further, seeing the bare neck, shoulders and torso of a man shrouded in black feathers, and if she squinted hard enough, she could make out normal human legs clad in ebony leather pants and boots.

And in that instant, her heart squeezed with unexpected guilt.

She had named the man before her a beast, a monster…merely on the impressions of seeing a wing first. Oh, how hypocritical of her to think like that!

"I'm sorry," she found herself whispering, eyes trailing over the oddly familiar features of the figure before her. His hair of faded chestnut was riddled with streaks of silver…nasty scars reminiscent of cracked earth marred his chest, his biceps, and trailed up his neck…_oh Gaia._

It was then she realised _who_ she was staring at.

It should have been so obvious.

She was pitifully observing…_the real Genesis Rhapsodos. _

The figure that- that she'd seen before…he wasn't a clone. It was really him. At first, she hadn't seen the resemblance, unfamiliar with the absence of red leather or the faded, weak appearance he displayed…

…but the presence of his wing, coupled with the sorrow etched onto his sleeping face, indicated that this man before her was no mindless being with a collapsed psyche.

All she had heard about him, since he had abandoned ShinRa, were the tales of his rage, violence and malice towards both the company and the world. But she couldn't piece together even a skerrick of these impressions when she observed him now. He was feebly curled up on the cold floor with his wing unfurled to provide himself with some kind of warmth, his face drawn together in a pained, sad expression. And nobody had mentioned to her the condition he seemed to be suffering from, either.

How much did ShinRa keep under wraps these days, even from their knowledgeable Turks?

Those forbidden files seemed so appealing to her at that very instant. She had brought them with her and had guarded them beside her during her lapse into sentimentality over her childhood. Cautiously, she seized the top one, shuffling through the sheets of typed paper kept inside as she swept aside company standards. Her eyes scanned over the text, and quickly she found herself digging through an entire case report about all information regarding the subject in question, Genesis Rhapsodos.

_Report of all gathered information concerning rogue SOLDIER, Genesis Rhapsodos_

_~ Biography;  
Name; Genesis Rhapsodos_

_Gender: Male_

_Age at issuing of report; 24_

_Date of birth; 4__th__ of July_

_Rank; SOLDIER, 1__st__ Class_

_Status: Away without official leave, deserted_

_Additional notes; Born as a product of Project G, a branch of the Jenova Project, and raised under foster carers in the rural town of Banora. Also…_

Cissnei's eyes darted to and fro as she quickly scanned and absorbed the information being presented before her. In the following minutes, she found herself learning the details of Project G, the degradation illness, the copy phenomenon, how Genesis was raised, the finer points of his actions up until this point in time…

Minutes later, she forced herself to avert her eyes from the confidential documents, mind spinning as she tried to make sense of everything she had discovered. All she could really draw from her newfound knowledge was a deep compassion for the dying man before her, regardless of his abominable actions and history.

And in that moment in which she felt this sympathy, the renegade SOLDIER let out a long, upset moan, shifting slightly as he began to stir. Cissnei was torn, knowing that it was probably in her best interests to escape the science department before Genesis saw her, before Hojo came back, and before suspicion began to arise because of her absence.

She gave Genesis an agonized glance, her mind frantically debating her options. However, the matter became settled almost instantly as she scrutinized the pools of blood around his right forearm and beneath his silky black feathers. She knew that guilt would chase her endlessly if she walked away now, considering his pathetic condition and her motherly nature.

Cautiously, she edged closer, seeing his eyebrows draw together in a wince before he even tried to move. Despite the bandage tied crudely around his forearm, Cissnei could see the injury was still oozing blood.

"Ah…ah-h…" Genesis moaned, partially opening his pale eyes that were smudged with the shadows of exhaustion. It took him a moment to focus, but when he did, Cissnei backed away slightly. He was glaring weakly at her.

"What do you want?" He mumbled, voice small yet harsh. "Come to torture me?"

The Turk put her hands up slowly, attempting to signal her peaceful intentions.

"No, I haven't," she murmured, momentarily distracted as Genesis folded his wing back, tucking the feathers around his shoulder.

"I'd like to believe you, _Turk_," he spat, trying to keep his gaze level with hers from his position on the floor, "but ShinRa crawls with lying hounds."

Cissnei had no answer for that remark. After reading his files, she was even more aware of ShinRa's façade to the public, and how they carefully concealed their darker and more clandestine activities from both the wider community and company employees.

"Turk status aside," she said quietly, "I'm not going to harm you. It seems you're already suffering enough as it is."

"So observant," he mumbled, lips pulling together in a halfhearted smirk, "…but you know _nothing _of my pain."

"Try me." Cissnei uttered this statement with calm defiance, determined to reveal the injured soul hiding behind the malevolent façade. She knew he would regard her with feigned antagonism until the truth of his torment revealed itself.

Seeming to ignore her, Genesis turned his attention to pushing himself into an upright position. He masked his physical agony as best he could when he put weight on his injured arm and strain on his dying body, but the effects of degradation clawed at him so violently that he collapsed back onto his stomach, crying out as air rushed from his lungs.

Seething with embarrassment, he struggled to open his eyes. The sight he was met with challenged his assumptions of Turk before him entirely. She was poised next to him, as if she had just missed the opportunity to prevent his exhausted fall. For that instant he saw the compassionate expression on her face, the sadness in her chestnut eyes, and the apparent kindness she was attempting to display.

Could he really trust her?

"I…I'm sorry," she mumbled, drawing back slightly, "I thought you were going to catch yourself…"

"…obviously n-not," Genesis groaned, trying to retain a tough exterior. If he truly revealed himself to her, to _anyone_…the pain would become so real, so awful, that he didn't think he'd be able to survive it a minute longer. Keeping his feelings hidden and producing a false sense of callousness was the only way he could force himself to cope with his existence.

But before he could muster the strength to maintain his façade, a choked gasp escaped his lips, immobilising agony spreading like lightning throughout his weak frame. Before he knew, it he was convulsing, every nerve in his entire body on fire.

Panic-stricken, Cissnei watched in horror as Genesis bit back a scream, every tremor in his body releasing a choked sob. She might have read about degradation in theory…but the symptoms were horrendous, and she had _no idea what to do. _The Turk was forced to duck as the SOLDIER's wing unfurled violently, feathers trembling as the muscle tensed.

By now, Genesis was snarling, teeth bared, as uncontrollable aggression flooded through his mind and shuddering body. With superhuman effort he restrained himself, determined not to harm the soul who had dared to show him kindness and sympathy.

Meanwhile, Cissnei, despite being frightened out of her wits, did the only thing she could in an attempt to comfort him through the degradation seizure he was experiencing. She shuffled to her left and gently lowered his wing to the floor, softly massaging the downy feathers that covered the top of the limb with her left hand. Her other hand, meanwhile, gently stroked what she could reach of his primary feathers.

Somewhere in the back of his hazy mind, Genesis could feel the soothing touch of fingers caressing his feathers, but had the sensation drowned out by the agony coursing through his body. However, after moments that dragged out for hours, his trembling slowly began to subside, feeling of pain being replaced by exhaustion and nausea. As soon as he realised he could move without too much discomfort he abruptly covered his mouth, feeling overpowered by the urge to vomit. Luckily, the feeling passed.

"…feeling better?" Cissnei murmured, timidly. She already felt somewhat awkward with her hands tenderly touching his feathers, and all she really wanted to hear was him abruptly telling her to stop.

But no such reprimand came.

"…somewhat," Genesis whispered, breathing hard as he realised he was covered in sweat. He emitted a low, quiet moan, feeling completely drained of life under his burning headache that was likely the result of a high fever. The only sensation allowing him to tolerate his remaining discomfort was the feeling of delicate fingers tracing his wing.

Cissnei felt shyness overtake her as she continued to stroke his feathers, but made herself sustain her task to make up for some of the recent trauma he had experienced. She almost felt as if she were playing the role of a mother taking care of a sickly child.

Just as she had traced her hand down another feather shaft, an impolite buzz from her pocket caused reality to slap her in the face. Worriedly she paused in her task, her mind quickly formulating a convincing excuse as she rummaged for her PHS.

"Yo, Cissnei!" Reno's voice barked from the other end. "Where've you been? Office has been missin' ya for nearly an hour now."

Though her excuse was embarrassing, it suited her situation quite well.

"Stomach ache," she moaned convincingly, knowing that the metallic walls would echo her voice like the large toilet blocks ShinRa sported on certain floors.

"Too much information, yo," Reno sighed. "Anyway, boss asks if you've delivered those files."

"Of course," she replied, "but the Professor wasn't there. I waited for a little while, but…"

"Apparently he's out with some ShinRa troops, catching monsters or something. He won't be back for another hour or two."

"Gee, thanks for the tip," she mumbled. "Anyway, I won't be down for another ten minutes or so…still feeling bad…"

"Nasty, yo…but I guess you can't help it. See ya 'round, Ciss."

"Bye," she sighed, relief flooding through her that such a novel excuse had worked as she snapped her phone shut. Quickly, she drew her attention back to Genesis, who was watching her curiously.

She smiled at him. "Don't worry; I'll stay until you're asleep. You need rest, Genesis."

The ex-SOLDIER could hardly complain, knowing that the hypnotic sensation of her gentle fingers would certainty lull him into slumber if he allowed it. Despite the aches and pains of degradation and bleeding wounds, he managed to relax, shifting his wing slightly to have it sit more comfortably across Cissnei's lap. Now that he had heard her name again from her PHS conversation, he could remember her vaguely from before he had left the hell hole of ShinRa. She was always nice, offered everyone a smile, and was diligent with all her work…and it surprised him that she would put her job at risk to care for him. That in itself was something…incredibly special in a way…it almost made him wonder what she was doing in such a clandestine job…

Cissnei failed at suppressing her smile, pleased to see that Genesis had fallen asleep with a much calmer expression on his face in comparison to when she had first stumbled across him. Unlike many, she had discovered the background knowledge to understand both his physical and emotional trauma. All he really wanted was to rid himself of his pain, to heal his illness, to _live_… that was why he left, and did what he did, because of degradation's torture. Also, because of ShinRa's involvement, through their lies and deceit of raising him in a foster family and hiding his origins, he _hated _them. According to the reports, the scientist Hollander had promised him a cure in exchange for exerting revenge on the company, and had blinded Genesis with this truth about his life to tide him over.

And all Cissnei could feel for him was compassion. His captivity to the Science Department would amount to endless hours of inhumane experiments, adding salt to the wounds he was already suffering from.

It just _wasn't right._

Somehow, she would make sure to visit him again. Snagging another opportunity such as this would be very difficult and unlikely, so another plan was in order.

As she stood up to leave and gently rested Genesis' wing onto the floor, she smiled, having reached a perfect solution in her mind.

She'd be back sooner than she'd expected.

* * *

A/N; Isn't Cissnei the biggest muffin ever? She so sweet to him, after learning of his trauma and how he'll stop at nothing to heal himself because it's so unbearable….

Anyway. I'm sorry that I'm so sporadic with my updates. I've got a very peculiar writing muse…it comes very rarely, and hence I must wait for inspiration to strike before I write. :c But anyway, expect extreme amounts of fluff to come…well, maybe not extreme, but lots of it. -love- So um, expect an update within a month. But probably much sooner, since I'm on holidays for the next two months. XD;

I love reviews. But doesn't everyone? XD

~ Lioneh

**Anndd disclaimer! Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei/Shuriken, Professor Hojo, SOLDIER and anything and everything else associated with the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII belongs to Square Enix. All I own are the socks on Gen's feet. **


	3. Confessions

A/N; …please forgive me for the pathetic time span it has taken me to update. I blame a runaway muse, university, procrastination and laziness for my lack of updatage. However, please enjoy the fluff that is to follow. That is all.

* * *

'_An Unlikely Prospect'  
Chapter III ~ Confessions_

"…_wake up, angel."_

A voice. It was so soft, so quiet…

"…_can you open your eyes for me?"_

Was this a goddess? …_The_ goddess, herself?

"_I'm sorry. You probably feel terrible…"_

The tone deepened to worry, concern. _No, the voice of the goddess is always calm, always gentle, always…_

"Oh, Genesis, _please…" _the voice filtered into his hazy consciousness, chasing away his clouded dreams of divine spirits of poetry. _She…that tone…the Turk…_

"…you came…back…" he mumbled, still feeling heavily sedated from a strong anaesthetic Hojo had administered hours before. _She's here…Cissnei's with me…but…she…with ShinRa…why?_

"Of course I did," she whispered, ignoring the rising panic fluttering inside her. She was _supposed_ to be here. She had all permission to. Of course, as she had taken over guard duty for the night from one of her fellow Turks, she was expected to follow the standard rules of no interference with specimens, even if they attempted communication with her.

But Genesis wasn't just a 'sample.'

He was a human being.

One with a broken soul, emotions, _feelings_…and subjectively, to her, that made him free from being labelled a specimen. So, _technically,_ she wasn't breaking the company rules. And she couldn't just _ignore _something so unjust going on within her own workplace. Her own morals wouldn't stand for it, particularly with the circumstances Genesis was burdened with. Though ShinRa was her life, she maintained her independence with enough clarity to call herself a separate entity from the company if she wished to.

"How are you feeling?" Cissnei questioned gently, determined to show as much kindness as she could. Although, she was a little embarrassed at calling him an angel…but such tender language would do good for him. She doubted that he'd heard a compliment or a nickname since he had deserted the company.

"…bad…" he replied hoarsely, coughing. "…sore…"

"Where?" the Turk murmured, wishing to relieve what she could.

"…wing…my arm…" he winced, carefully stretching out his feathers to show Cissnei, now that she was close enough and could be trusted, where he had been stabbed.

The Turk suppressed a gasp, seeing a torn, bloody gash running through the muscle in the middle of his wing. Many of the surrounding feathers were still covered with streaks of clotted blood, looking matted and unsightly. Without a word, Cissnei slowly stood up, turning her back to Genesis as she carefully searched through some of the nearby metal drawers for something. Minutes later she had proudly seized a relatively clean square of fabric and soaked said cloth with water from a nearby sink.

"If you don't mind," she mumbled softly, "could you keep your wing unfurled? I need to have each feather exposed as much as possible."

Genesis blinked in hazy confusion. 'What are you do-"

His protest ceased at both the sight and sensation of Cissnei carefully rubbing the cloth over his secondary feathers, attentively removing the blood stains that marred his wing. Like before, her touch was almost hypnotic, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from her as she continued in her task.

"…why?" he asked with bewilderment, unable to comprehend how she could still display such kindness.

"Because your feathers are beautiful," Cissnei replied simply, smiling to herself as she passed the cloth over another section of his wing. Genesis pondered this statement as the coolness of water continued to spread closer and closer to the burning pain of his wound, completely mystified that somebody could call a monster's wings as such.

"This might sting a bit," Cissnei warned after she'd thoroughly rinsed the cloth. "I'm just going to gently wash around the gash, okay? Just to get rid of the blood."

"…alright," Genesis replied quietly, his mind still clouded by the remains of sedative drugs. The only thoughts he could muster clearly surrounded Cissnei and her unconditional carefulness, but swimming in the back of his mind were notions of degradation, monsters, rebellion, remedies, LOVELESS…

Despite the unpleasant throbs that coursed through his wing as Cissnei cleaned the wound, he forced himself not to complain. He would never have received such kind treatment under the care of either Hojo or Hollander and he refused to take it for granted.

"There's one last thing I need to do," the Turk added, cautiously running a hand along the top edge of his wing. "Your injury needs to be treated with antiseptic. You don't need an infection on top of your degradation and weakened immune system."

"…how do you know so much?" Genesis roused himself to ask, finally feeling a little more like his usual self.

"About which? Treating injuries, or degradation?"

"Both."

"First aid course," Cissnei nodded, smiling at him. Her expression then turned sympathetic. "And then, confidential reports. You'd be surprised at how much information I know about you that many others don't."

As Genesis thought over this, the Turk had managed to locate some antiseptic cream.

"How did ShinRa…?" the ex-SOLDIER asked, trailing off as Cissnei looked at him. She decided to explain it as best she could, knowing that the conversation would probably distract him from the antiseptic treatment.

"They probably gathered information about you from security cameras, archived historical and medical reports…" she mumbled, thoroughly yet gently applying cream to the wound, "…and Hollander's notes and admissions, which were obtained when he was captured and interrogated…"

Genesis opened his mouth to protest about Hollander being apprehended, but he abruptly closed it again after considering that a hopeless scientist like him couldn't remain hidden for long, and that if he hadn't been captured, Cissnei wouldn't be here with her knowledge, _helping him._

"Genesis, I…" Cissnei began, meeting his gaze, "…um."

"…what?" Genesis prompted, curious despite himself.

"I'm sorry. For everything."

The renegade SOLDIER was taken aback at her short admission. He was somewhat eager to discover the limits of her knowledge. "…everything?"

"You, Project G, your foster parents…ShinRa, lying, deceiving…your degradation, copies…what you've done…your pain…" Cissnei trailed off, closing her eyes.

Genesis was at a loss. Nobody had ever taken everything into account and felt _sorry_ for him before. Though it was humiliating, it was also…something else…

"I just can't imagine how much you've suffered," the Turk whispered, voice hollow. "It's no wonder you hate ShinRa."

The redhead looked away. True, he despised ShinRa…but Cissnei herself, and many other oblivious staff, deserved none of that hatred.

"All this, up until this point," Cissnei mumbled, "you only did it because you were in so much pain, didn't you? The degradation and the truth of your birth…it must've been awful…"

"I was scared, too." Genesis said in a small voice, hardly able to believe he had just admitted this fact. "Scared to death."

"And you still are, aren't you?" The Turk's voice was soft. "Of dying."

"…yes."

Before he could realise, warm arms had gently encircled his shoulders. His breath caught in his throat; nobody had held him like this in such a long time…

"I'm going to help you," Cissnei mumbled into his shoulder, voice choked, "at least…as much as I can."

"I don't know if you could do much for a monster like myself," Genesis murmured, feeling somewhat touched. Awkwardly he folded his wing back, disguising a wince as he touched the feathers across Cissnei's back as a means of returning the embrace since his arms were immobilised. "But…"

"But?" Cissnei pulled back slightly.

"…thank you."

"You're welcome," the Turk replied, shyness overtaking her as she shivered at the warm, feathery sensation across her back. Slowly, she edged away, even more embarrassed as she realised he was still absent of a shirt. "Anyway, I'd better…find something for your wing, since the wound's still partially open…"

"Perhaps you shouldn't…" Genesis considered, "Hojo's been prodding around my injuries and doing tests on them."

"Well, he'll just need to focus on one of them, won't he?" Cissnei replied obstinately, standing up to hunt around for some clear gauze strips. After a few frustrating minutes of searching, she came across what she was looking for. She quickly stooped down and carefully extended his wing with her hands before he could complain, and then ever-so-gently covered the gash with clear strips of material.

"If you keep your wing retracted when Hojo's around, he probably won't notice. Or he'll decide it's not worth the trouble to force you, and focus on your arm instead," Cissnei reasoned, clearly giving out 'do not argue with me' vibes.

"Alright," Genesis mumbled submissively.

"Lastly, I'll do this for you…" Cissnei trailed off, using her cloth to quickly wipe away the blood stains on his right arm. "But I shouldn't interfere much more, or Hojo will certainly become suspicious. I'm sorry."

"You've done your best. It's more than enough." Genesis lowered his head in appreciation, letting out a quiet sigh. It was all he could really do to display his thankfulness, since his arms and legs were shackled to the floor. He could jiggle his limbs a little, but no chain was long enough to allow him to cause any mischief, such as removing the intravenous shunt that pierced the back of his left hand. His only limb with freedom to move was his wing, but he was placed at such a distance from _anything_ in the lab besides the wall that no matter how he unfurled it, the feathers could touch nothing but air.

Cissnei dropped into silence after giving him a nod, watching him quietly as he attempted to shift his body position. It was cruel to observe him struggling about without offering assistance, but if she wanted to keep meeting with him, she had to refrain from causing suspicion through interference. If she didn't have such a worry, Genesis would be out of those chains, wrapped up with a blanket and a warm cup of tea, and…

She clamped down on those thoughts, knowing that if she dwelled on them long enough, they'd become reality.

"Cissnei?"

The Turk quickly pulled herself away from distracting thoughts of love and care. "Mm?"

Genesis hesitated for a moment, but then his facial expression hardened slightly with more confidence. "I'm curious to know more about you."

"Well…" Cissnei began, stumbling at the ordinary nature of question, "I…I'm seventeen years old, and I…grew up in an orphanage, managed by ShinRa. I never knew my parents. When I was around fourteen or so, they gave me the opportunity to work for the company as a Turk."

"That's young," the ex-SOLDIER murmured, looking at her. "Why did you accept?"

"They practically raised me, I suppose, and I…wanted to give them…" The Turk stopped short, unable to continue with the lie she was forming. Genesis had already been unfairly deceived all his life; he didn't need his trust abused further. "I wanted to get out. The orphanage was a rough place."

"It was your only option, wasn't it?"

"That, or being thrown out into the slums to fend for myself." Cissnei lowered her eyes from his gaze, feeling somewhat exposed. "But ShinRa is all I've ever known. It's the only kind of home I've ever had…and to abandon the closest feeling I had to family, I…just couldn't…"

Genesis tilted his head to the side, the confusion reeling inside of him making him feel like a small child. It was curious to learn about ShinRa through the eyes of another, who had been taken under their demonic wings and actually nurtured to a degree. Why should he be handed the short end of the stick, the company's dreadful side? Was it simply not his choice, but _his fate_, to live the life of a monster?

"Are you…alright, Genesis?"

The rogue quickly returned her concerned gaze. "What?"

"Oh. You just…seemed troubled," Cissnei replied in a small voice, finding herself far too curious to know what was causing him pain. He had numerous sources of agony and identifying which was bothering him was rather difficult, but she gathered ShinRa's treatment of him had something to do with it.

"Seeing another side of this wretched company surprises me." Genesis shook his head, eyebrows drawing together in sad bewilderment. "I know they welcomed me here, trained me to be a SOLDIER…but ShinRa's ulterior motives for such positive treatment, it just…I felt…used."

The Turk lowered her gaze, surprised at the thoughts his words evoked in her.

"All that time, they knew what I _was_…and manipulated my power to carry out their selfish deeds. And now, I am no different. I kill, I lie, I deceive, I wage war, just as ShinRa does, and they _made _me who I am…a beast. Though I oppose them, my actions cause me to become more monstrous still…and I…I feel…"

Cissnei's eyebrows furrowed in sympathy. Genesis had lowered his face into his right hand, pathetic, tearless sobs jolting his weak frame.

Unsure of what would be an appropriate response, she carefully sidled towards him and placed a tentative hand on his left shoulder. She was quite surprised when the renegade SOLDIER shifted his weight, making her arm dip to slide around his back yet beneath his wing. Somehow, Genesis was cradled in her arms, crying silently as unwanted tears dripped off his chin.

"I-I…" he gulped, taking a breath, "…I feel…so trapped..."

The Turk lowered her head, regret for actions she did not commit filling her soul. In all essence, ShinRa had literally created him through Jenova Project G, and inevitably caused the degradation he was now suffering from. This illness was destroying his mind, body and soul, making him fall prey to uncontrollable violence and unbalanced emotions, ensnaring him inside a horrendous cycle of monstrosity. No matter how hard he battled ShinRa, the monsters that created him, Genesis uncontrollably mimicked their fiendish nature _because of them_ and what they did to him.

It was…frightening, in a way, to think ShinRa was capable of destroying lives like this, and Cissnei found this did not sit well with her. But she found no appropriate words to speak as she awkwardly supported the broken man beside her. All she could really do was simply…_be _there, and offer her presence as a source of comfort.

And perhaps that was all he needed.

However, Genesis continued to tremble, tears streaking his pale cheeks as he choked out one sob after another. Compulsively, he swallowed, trying to regain control over his feelings but instead releasing a low, quiet moan in misery.

"Sshh, now…" Cissnei whispered softly. "You're alright…"

"S-sorry…" he shuddered, emotions of distress slowly being replaced by unwanted embarrassment. He couldn't fathom what had overpowered him so. All he could comprehend was that his soul was writhing in raw, anguished emotions he had no control over, and that he was sorely thankful he managed to keep his agony concealed from the rest of the world.

The Turk hesitantly rubbed her hand on his back, compassionate feelings racing through her heart. "It's okay, Genesis. I know it was beyond your control."

"We monsters are…known for our bad temperaments," Genesis coughed, sickened by the lack of restraint he constantly exhibited. He had no idea just how senseless the degradation could cause him to become, and he feverishly prayed Cissnei would not fall into the crossfire of his unpredictable mood swings. She was lucky that distress had claimed him now, and not appalling violence. "Don't drop your guard around me."

Cissnei frowned, disappointed at his unconfident nature. "I'm still going to help you, no matter how vicious you become through this disease."

Genesis turned his head to glance at her, seeing the determination etched onto her face. He still found it difficult to believe that she was adamant to go against her way of life and help the man who opposed everything that comprised her family. They had barely known each other for a day, and here she was, putting her very life on the line.

It was _wild._

He could barely understand it, and yet, he was so…

"Hey…you still okay?"

Cissnei's voice, quiet and concerned, broke his confusion. He nodded silently in response, unsure of how to voice his current feelings. After a few moments of comfortable silence, he gently extended his feathers around her.

"I…"

The Turk glanced at him, finding herself smiling at his shyness.

"…I…don't know what to say." Genesis lowered his gaze from hers, drawing his wing closer to her body as he stared at the floor. "You've done so much, and accepted me without hesitation, despite who I am…"

"Well," Cissnei whispered, gently tracing his soft feathers, "don't expect that to change."

An unexpected tinge of warmth coloured his pale, angular cheeks. "Thank you."

She turned to face him, giving him a small smile.

"From now on, Genesis, don't worry…I'll be with you."

* * *

A/N; FFFF. I swear they're getting along way too fast to be believable. But maybe I'm just being paranoid, or maybe Genesis is just desperately clinging to _anyone_ willing to understand and care for him…hm. I'd much rather believe the latter. XD

Anyway, I can't guarantee anything, but _hopefully_ I'll come up with another chapter within the next month, since I'm on university break…

Anyway, until then, revel in this wondrous dosage of angsty fluff!

**Disclaimer: Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei, ShinRa, Hollander, Hojo and anyone else or thing related to Final Fantasy VII does not belong to me. All I own is the fluff. D: **


	4. Confrontations

A/N: And here it is! Only two or so weeks after the last chapter! –le gasp!- I think I've set a record. Anyway, it's very late, so I haven't had a good deal of time to proof read, so don't shoot me if there are some mistakes. XD

* * *

_'An Unlikely Prospect'  
Chapter IV ~ Confrontations_

"_From now on, Genesis, don't worry…I'll be with you."_

For Gaia's sake, who was she kidding?

When she'd left him last time, she was scheduled for supervision again in two nights, and she had _promised_ him. He was dependent on her next visit, focusing on that event as being something to look forward to, past the horrendous treatment he would receive at Professor Hojo's hands. With such a fractured mentality and uncertain trust, it was critical that she uphold her word.

But _of course_ the fates were conspiring against her. Unforeseen circumstances required that she swap her duty for another night. This was to ensure one of her fellow Turks could complete an urgent mission that had recently surfaced on their scheduled time slot. However, this event was most likely petty coincidence, and she doubted anyone in ShinRa should suspect her. After all, she did alter the security footage captured during her time with Genesis to disguise her interaction…

_Just relax. If you cover your footsteps properly, nobody will discover you. _Cissnei found herself keeping up this self-talk as she ascended the floors of ShinRa at midnight, watching the elevator numbers slowly tick upwards to sixty seven. She was also fervently praying that Genesis would still be mentally stable by the time she arrived with her pathetic excuse for an apology. After all, she was a week late.

_Ding!_

As soon as the doors glided open she leapt out, briskly walking down the corridor towards her destination. It was completely silent in the Science Department, and Cissnei was wondering whether or not that was a good thing.

Of course, when she heard his startled cry, she was decided the quiet _was_ a pleasant sign. She turned the corner with haste, worry creeping into her soul as she walked into the laboratory area of the sixty-seventh floor.

"Oh, Genesis…"

As soon as Cissnei saw him, she rushed to his side, seeing him staring up at her with a hollow, frightened expression on his pale face. "I'm so, so sorry…"

Genesis swallowed impulsively, struggling against his shackles in a desperate want to free his arms and embrace her. Luckily, she didn't need his pathetic attempts. She had already drawn him into a tight hug.

"Are you alright? Can I do anything?" Cissnei whispered, hearing him release a choked sob.

"…n-nightmare," he stammered, shivering. "…scared…"

"I've got you," the Turk murmured, gently rubbing his back, "it's okay…"

Genesis buried his face into her shoulder, bitterly thankful that even though he had lost faith in her, she had still come. Her presence in his world of agony was the only thing that was keeping him remotely sane.

"I feel so terrible…for making you wait," Cissnei murmured, closing her eyes as she continued to rub his sweaty back. "The rosters were fumbled around and delayed me by a week."

The rogue SOLDIER didn't muster a worded response, but managed a weak nod into her shoulder. The nightmare of his subconscious had almost faded now, but the dream of mocking voices from his past comrades still lingered in his fractured mind.

"_You…are so pathetic." _

"_Look at you, so weak, so beast-like...so monstrous."_

"_Stop clinging to her. How foolish to trust so quickly…"_

"…_a disgrace to all of SOLDIER."_

"_Such a sad sight, your hope pinned on the enemy herself…"_

"_You've thrown your dreams, your honour, your dignity… away. You disgust me."_

"A-Angeal…" Genesis whispered; his voice broken and shaky. The nightmare-induced words of his childhood friend echoed throughout his hollow consciousness, blurring with the other accusing voices. His situation and his actions, they _were _truly weak and pathetic…he was meant to be a fighter, a warrior...not…

Cissnei swallowed, already knowing that Genesis was not ready to hear the news of his friend's death. He was far too emotionally unstable and fragile to tolerate it decently. However, she was unaware that currently, he was barely able to tolerate her presence at all, let alone sad news.

_Left me for a week…a painted disguise, a devious Turk… _These thoughts, feverish and muddled with confusion, clouded Genesis' weary head as he struggled to stay with it. Despite himself he roughly pulled back from Cissnei's embrace, a fierce expression twisting his facial features. He was beyond hope of realising his own actions as the mindlessness of degradation overtook his sense of self.

"Genesis…?" Cissnei watched him with worried eyes, trying to suppress her growing fear. Cautiously, she reached out to touch his shoulder, as if to offer reassurance.

"Don't _touch me_," he hissed, using whatever maneuverability he had in his hands to shove her backwards. The Turk let out a startled gasp, barely catching herself as she struggled to come to terms with his sudden burst of aggression. As much as she wanted to calm him like she did last time, the way his eyes flashed at her with glowing anger made her think otherwise.

"…let me help," Cissnei whispered, her expression pleading, "…please…"

"You? _Help?_" Genesis let out a scornful laugh, his voice resounding against the metal walls. "You've done nothing but deceive me, filthy _Turk_. How could I be so foolish to trust you so easily? All you ShinRa dogs ever _do_ is dirty work."

"That's not what-"

"Spare me your lies," Genesis snarled, baring his teeth at her. "You were never going to help me…you were just the tool to make me weak, to make me _pathetic_ and _useless_…"

Cissnei bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions at bay through the ex-SOLDIER's tirade. _It's just his degradation…he doesn't mean it…he's not…_

"You abandoned me here for a _week!_" By now, Genesis was shouting, his face twisted with contempt. _"_A week, in the clutches of this…this _hell hole!_ How _could_ you!"

The Turk sucked in a breath, her defences destroyed at those last cutting words. The only way to conceal her distress was to cover what she could of her face with a shaking hand. She felt so guilty, even when it wasn't her fault…

"I'm sorry, Genesis! I'm…I…"

"_Sorry?_ Is that all you can say!" Genesis was behaving more and more beastlike as the seconds ticked by. His wing was now unfurled, the muscles tense like a predator waiting to pounce. Shortly after he spoke, however, his entire stance quickly began to dissolve. Awkwardly he bent over, clutching his head as agony twisted through him. "Ah-h…"

Uncovering her face, Cissnei stared at him with concern, her eyes reddened from tears. She watched as Genesis trembled like a leaf, the tremors coinciding with his cries of pain. After a minute of this, he let out a final scream, startling the Turk to the point of making her want to hide. Impulsively she scooted backwards, eyes wide in primal fear that his aggression was not yet over.

Painfully, Genesis slowly raised his head to look at her, all evidence of rage absent from expression. His shadowy eyes widened after witnessing her distance from him, and the fright in her tearful eyes.

"…Cissnei?"

The Turk in question swallowed nervously, carefully watching Genesis for any signs of sudden change.

Meanwhile, Genesis was in bitter shock with himself. She looked so frightened of him, her behavior instinctual. W-what had he done? How could he…how could he fall prey to madness so easily? He was such a _monster_!

"…are you hurt?"

The Turk stared at him in disbelief, finding it difficult to comprehend his sudden change in demeanor. She shook her head mutely at him, trying to calm her racing heart. "…w-what about you? …are you okay?"

"…don't you dare worry about me," Genesis whispered, clenching a chained fist. "Not after what I, the monster…have done to you."

"G-Genesis…" Cissnei stammered quietly, trying to force out the words, "that wasn't you…you didn't mean…"

The rogue SOLDIER turned his face away, bitterly ashamed at the lack of restraint he displayed and of what he was becoming. "You should go. That outburst was my true self."

"No, I-"

"Leave, Cissnei. A monster such as me should not be allowed near a soul like yours. We do not deserve such kindness, and you do not deserve such filth. Stop risking your job, your life, for the likes of-"

"_No!"_

Cissnei stared at him defiantly, fighting her own instincts to escape the dangerous situation she knew she was putting herself in. Carefully, she edged back towards him, hesitantly placing a hand on his arm. "I promised I would never leave you."

"But-"

"And _I'll never _break that promise_._" The more Cissnei spoke, the more she felt her confidence returning. She was the only one with the willingness to show him that he was more than the byproduct of an experiment gone wrong. She knew now, more than ever, that it was her responsibility to show Genesis he was still capable of being loved.

"I…don't want to hurt you, Cissnei," Genesis mumbled, reluctantly giving in to her insistence. He was quite startled, however, when she responded by placing a soft hand on his cheek.

"That alone proves to me that you are no monster," the Turk smiled, gently tracing his face for a few moments. "Despite your actions, now and in the past, I know you've been resisting them when you can."

Genesis turned to look at her, desperately wishing he was free to gesture his appreciation for her support. Instead, he was forced to resort to straining against his shackles again. Fortunately, Cissnei was quick to give him another hug, this time stroking the downy feathers near his shoulder.

"Now," she whispered, forcing away any trepidation she had, "is there anything I can do for you?"

"Hugging is nice," he mumbled into her shoulder, his voice muffled. The Turk suppressed a tiny smile at his simple, content remark. It wasn't as if she minded giving him this kind of contact; goddess knew how little human affection he had experienced since abandoning ShinRa. _Not to mention…he feels kind of…nice._

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Cissnei gently pulled backwards from their embrace. However, now that she could observe him calmly, she could clearly notice the shivers running up and down his body. "Are you cold?"

"…yeah," he murmured, wishing for the Turks' arms to be wrapped around his shoulders still.

"I'll be right back." The Turk smiled at him before standing up and beginning to search about the room. She hoped that Hojo would not have been indecent enough to discard the SOLDIER's outer garments, but she had her doubts… "Aha!"

Genesis looked at her curiously, seeing her proudly walking back towards him with a familiar bundle of leather in her arms.

"Your coat, dear sir," she bowed, presenting him with his faithful, if tattered, coat. "Although, I'd better help you…"

After a few minutes of struggling, relative success was achieved. Genesis had managed to get his coat on, despite the restrictions of a having a wing to negotiate through the torn leather.

"Better?" Cissnei inquired, seeing him shift about to get more comfortable.

"Much," he replied, the first hints of a smile touching his face. Despite knowing they'd have to remove it again once Cissnei was to leave, he was grateful for her concern.

"One of these days I'll have to get you a warm drink, since you're probably sick of intravenous treatment by now. It's a shame Hojo's probably monitoring the level of chemicals in your bloodstream...better not give you caffeine…" The Turk considered this as she continued to mumble to herself, trying to distract Genesis from his circumstances and humour him a little. The way he looked at her with calmness and slight warmth indicated she was doing a good job.

"That…sounds wonderful," Genesis replied, his throat aching for moisture after over a week of not consuming anything. He hardly noticed the fact that he licked his lips in anticipation of something warm and sweet. Cissnei giggled at this, amused by how he openly expressed his desire for sustenance. It was cute, and kind of childlike.

"…there's a coffee machine a few floors down," Cissnei contemplated, looking thoughtful. "I could, theoretically, leave my post for five minutes, and just happen to return with a cup of decaf."

Genesis looked at her curiously, trying to disguise his longing. "…you'd do that?"

The Turk was already on her feet, giving her legs a dusting from the floor. She gave him a warm smile.

"…how many sugars?"

* * *

…_so warm, so sweet…mm…_ Genesis was lost in these incoherent thoughts as he held the coffee cup close to his chest, taking long, slow sips that almost burned his tongue.

Cissnei couldn't help but smile, glad to see him finally enjoying something. Who knew how long it had been since he'd last had a classic cup of ShinRa's coffee.

"Thank you," the former SOLDIER breathed, closing his eyes as he savoured the taste.

"It was my pleasure," the Turk replied, shifting as she sat cross-legged in front of him. It was a miracle the shackles weren't so tight that he couldn't manage a beverage. It would humiliate him even further if she'd had to help him drink. Not that she would've minded, of course…

"Here, have some." Genesis motioned with his head for her to come closer.

"No, no, you enjoy it." Cissnei found herself blushing at his offer, not wishing to steal some of his pleasure. Regardless, she did shift herself a little closer to him.

The ex-SOLDIER was not satisfied with her modesty, and slowly stretched his feathers out to brush her back. "…please?"

She turned to look at him, seeing the longing in his eyes to do something, anything, for her.

"Oh_, fine_," she huffed, letting a small giggle escape.

"Here." A mostly empty coffee cup was gently pushed into her hands. Carefully, Cissnei raised the beverage to her lips, slowly draining the last portion of decaffeinated coffee. Surprisingly, it was still rather hot.

"You drank this quickly," she murmured, somewhat amused.

"It wasn't that hot."

"I nearly burned myself," Cissnei replied, looking at him curiously as she tried to justify his lack of sensitivity to excess heat. "Are you sure you didn't?"

Genesis didn't reply, his head turned away from her. This lack of response stirred worry within Cissnei, particularly since he was rather fine only seconds ago.

"It's probably the degradation." His words were clipped and short, spoken quietly yet harshly.

The Turk's facial expression turned sympathetic. They had finally reached a point where she could distract him from his grim reality for short periods of time, but it was inevitable that the truth of his circumstances would prevail more often.

"It'll be okay," Cissnei whispered, cautiously touching a hand against his. "I promise."

Genesis nodded mutely, trying to control the primal fear of death raging inside of him. For just a brief moment, he had been able to focus on something else, but even then, reality always interrupted…

"But…there's something I should tell you, Genesis."

He raised his gaze to look at her, questioning in his pale blue eyes. He watched as Cissnei seemed to consider how to word what she wanted to say, her face a mix of anxiety and thought. However, the troubled look that came over her expression seconds later caused his feelings of trepidation to rise.

"I hope it isn't too soon, but if I delay, you may hold it against me," the Turk mumbled, lowering her gaze from his. "It's… about Angeal."

"What about him?"

"He…" Cissnei closed her eyes, not wanting to see the former SOLDIER's horror, "…he's dead."

Nothing could have prepared him for those simple, heartbreaking words.

"No…"

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, gently rubbing his hand.

"…he…he can't…no!" Genesis jerked his head upright, staring at her with wide, distressed eyes. Cautiously, Cissnei brought herself to meet his panicked gaze, her heart squeezing at the raw emotion that twisted his handsome face.

"…he made Zack do it." Her words were tainted with heavy sadness. "He wanted to die."

The former SOLDIER opened his mouth to speak, but could not form a single word to express his anguished feelings. All that came were pathetic sobs, bitter tears spilling down his pale cheeks.

Cissnei knew that her words were of no use to him right now. Instead, she gently pulled him into an embrace, feeling each and every tremble that shook his weak frame. If there had been an easier way to break the news, by all means, she would have taken it…but that was the problem with death.

"I...I d-did t-this…." Genesis stammered, his voice broken, "…my f-fault…"

"…it's alright," the Turk whispered, gently rubbing the back of his head.

"…no…told him about…P-Project G…said we were… m-monsters." At this statement, his sobs became heavier. "…he suffered…b-because of me…"

"You didn't mean for this to happen," Cissnei replied quietly, trying to ease his guilt.

"…but I…told him the t-truth…to t-tide him over …and it…killed him," Genesis coughed, his tears coming faster. "…oh _goddess_, it _killed_ him!"

"I know, but you-"

"I-I'm such a _monster_," he cried, his entire body shaking harder now. "I d-deserve…this fate…"

The female Turk was at a loss, unable to make him see reason. All that came from him now were incoherent mumblings of self-hatred, his entire psyche crumbling at the loss of his only childhood friend. She had hoped for a reaction that was not aggressive, but did not expect the news to crush him this badly. _What if…he too wants death…but as punishment? What if he begs me?_

"Genesis…" Cissnei's voice was low and worried.

"…s-stop...wasting your t-time on me…" Genesis sobbed into her shoulder, his eyes squeezed shut. "…I…I'm n-not…worth it…"

"Angel," she whispered, gently pulling backwards from their embrace, "look at me."

He couldn't respond, sobs continuing to shake his body. Cissnei swallowed, hesitantly touching her fingers beneath his chin and slowly raising his head to meet her gaze. Before Genesis could protest, she slipped her hand behind his head and pressed her lips against his, kissing him softly for a few moments. When she drew back, the former SOLDIER was stunned, unable to make sense of her actions.

"I would never kiss a monster," she murmured, softly wiping the tears from his angular cheeks.

Genesis looked back at her, their faces still only inches apart. _How could she…?_

"You are _not_ a beast, Genesis. You are still worth saving." Cissnei stroked his face, daring to show her affections. "Angeal would've wanted that."

He gave a quiet nod, bowing his head away from her gaze in submission.

"…come here," she sighed, gently pulling him in for another hug. "Grieving is expected, but don't hate yourself…please…"

"Alright…" Genesis mumbled into her shoulder, attempting to snuggle closer. Perhaps it would be easier on him if he finally believed what she kept on telling him…she did _kiss_ him, after all…loved him, maybe…

As the minutes ticked by, Cissnei felt his weight more and more as he slowly drifted to sleep, a natural response to the trauma he had experienced since her guard duty had started. It was almost cute, the way his wing relaxed and drooped on the floor…

"I'll be here for a few more hours…" she began, carefully pulling away from their embrace and helping him get comfortable on the floor. "When I need to leave, I'll wake you, and help you out of your coat."

"Mmhm…" the former SOLDIER responded halfheartedly, his eyes barely open. "…thank you…"

The Turk gave him a comforting smile. Once he had closed his pale eyes, she reached out to trace his soft feathers in an attempt to help him sleep. Then, for the next few minutes, she was able to watch him drift into dreamland, away from the nightmares of his reality.

_Sweet dreams, dear angel._

* * *

A/N: FLUFF ALERT! They've had their first kiss!

…oh crap. Was it too soon? Was it? It was, wasn't it? –panicpanic-

Erm. Anyway. Expect their relationship to sort of…develop, in the coming chapters. –love- I've also introduced an element of conflict here, what with his dramatic mood swings and bouts of degradation-induced seizures…

But we all know Cissnei's just gonna love him and care for him, no matter what happens. :3

I have no idea when I'll have another chapter by, but hopefully within a month. It depends on my silly, silly muse.

I hope you enjoyed! 8D

~ Lioneh


	5. Hope

A/N: HOLY CHEESECAKE. I updated. It's a freaking miracle. Anyway, I am eternally sorry for the sporadic updates, and hope you enjoy the pile of fluff that's to come. :D

* * *

_'An Unlikely Prospect'  
Chapter V ~ Hope_

_Beep…beep…beep..._

Genesis rolled his eyes, moaning.

It had only been a few hours, but he was already sick to death of the heart rate machine Hojo had attached to him. Every beep was like a keening burst of sound, rattling his feverish head.

_Beep…beep…beep…_

Wordlessly, Genesis laid his head against the cold metal floor. The only thing keeping his sanity intact was the fact that _she_ was coming to visit him again that night. Though he lacked a proper sense of time due to the absence of windows, he could conclude that since Hojo had departed, it was probably rather late. The scientist never liked to separate himself from his laboratory when he could help it. _This means…she'll be here soon…_

_Beep beep beep beep-_

A long sigh escaped his lips. Perhaps it was best if he didn't think about her…

Of course, he knew this to be impossible. She had been his only source of comfort over the last month…his only reason to keep on enduring Hojo's horrific treatment. Whenever she paid him a visit, which was often every three or four nights, she succeeded in distracting him long enough from his situation to prevent him from losing all hope. No matter what degradation caused him to do, she remained steadfast in her loyalty to care for him…and because of that, he had managed to prevent his health from declining as quickly.

The faint echoes of a smile touched his pale lips as he remembered their latest conversation. All she had been doing was telling him a humorous story from her early days at ShinRa, probably in an attempt to make him laugh, when she suddenly stopped. He had looked at her quizzically, wondering why she had paused. Cissnei, meanwhile, looked at him suspiciously.

"You…smiled," she had murmured, raising her eyebrows at him. "You actually smiled."

He had ducked his head, feeling as if it were wrong to even feel any happiness in his current situation. Reality had then started to creep back to him after Cissnei had said this, and he had shaken his head.

"Do it again."

"…what?"

"…smile. You look…" Cissnei had then trailed off, lowering her gaze from his. "…you look lovely when you smile."

"…even looking like this?" Genesis had questioned, exposing his heavily scarred neck.

She had nodded warmly, her lips curving upwards in approval. "Yes."

And now, as Genesis thought back on that conversation, he had to admit…there was something quite nice about…_her _smile, too…

_Beepbeepbeepbeep!_

Suitably distracted from his affectionate thoughts, the rogue SOLDIER let out an irritated growl. If he didn't learn to cope with his increased heart rate and the infernal beeping it caused every time he dared to think of Cissnei, he was quite certain he would go mad. Of course, with what remained of his mako enhancements, he was able to detect the familiar, delicate footfalls that had begun steadily approaching his location. He couldn't deny that this raised his spirits.

"Genesis?" Cissnei had stepped into the area by then, her eyes scanning him quickly to assess his condition.

"Hey," he said softly, his lips forming into the barest hints of a smile. "It's…good to see you."

The female Turk smiled warmly, secretly pleased with the openness in which he said this. It amazed her to see the transformation in his attitude towards her since they had first stumbled across each other. "How are you feeling tonight?"

Before Genesis could reply, he was caught off guard by the urge to yawn. Although he couldn't realistically stretch his body due to his confinements, he managed to completely extend his large wing before settling down again. "Tired…and stiff…but otherwise, alright."

Cissnei giggled, moving over to sit beside him. "I'm very glad to hear that, since only a few weeks ago you were in such a bad state."

"I don't know how long it will last," he sighed, shifting about to get into a comfortable sitting position. "I can only assume that Hojo is tinkering around with what effects certain drugs and medicines have on my condition. He keeps on fiddling with my IV fluids."

"Well, whatever he's doing, it's helping," she replied, watching him carefully. "Your symptoms seem quite reduced." _Not to mention…you talk so…calmly, almost like your old self…_

Genesis nodded, annoyances forgotten as he focused on Cissnei. However, he failed to realise the results of her noticing the heart rate machine as she pulled him in for a friendly hug. As her arms gently moved around his bare shoulders, the erratic and fast beeps of his heartbeat triggered a sudden nervousness inside of him. The Turk paused, only then noticing the change in tempo from the beeps she had dismissed to the back of her mind.

_Beepbeepbeepbeep-_

"Your heart rate," she whispered; her smile widening. "It's so much faster."

The former SOILDER didn't reply, his cheeks warming. He couldn't deny the feelings he was experiencing towards her…after all, she was the only pretty girl he had ever seen since being captured. The other female Turks that sometimes silently observed him were much too stoic and hardened for his appreciation.

Cissnei concentrated, holding him closely as she matched the quickened blips to his heartbeats that thumped inside his chest. She laughed, pulling backwards. To her surprise and delight, Genesis was _blushing_.

"Alright," he mumbled, looking away. "So…I might…think you're pretty."

Now it was Cissnei's turn to feel her face redden. However, despite her bashfulness she touched a hand to his cheek, gently turning his head to face hers. In that brief moment she leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on his pale lips. "Thank you."

Genesis shrugged, giving her a small, half-hearted smile.

"Oh…by the way…" the Turk replied, moving a hand about inside her pocket, "I brought you something."

He looked over at her curiously, watching her pull out a miniature chocolate bar.

"Here," she smiled. Genesis felt the treat being pushed into his palm.

"…thanks," he nodded gratefully, tearing off the thin plastic wrapper to reveal the goodness within. "Did you want some?"

Cissnei shook her head, revealing her own. "All set."

Satisfied by her response, Genesis snapped the chocolate in half and popped the first piece in his mouth. Oh…_Gaia_, it was good.

The Turk giggled at his apparent ecstasy, watching him close his eyes and savor the heavenly taste. She could only assume that he hadn't eaten anything in a very, very long time. She had no idea IV fluids were capable of sustaining a person for so long.

"By the goddess," Genesis breathed, licking his lips. "That was…that was...exquisite!"

"A fancy choice of words for such a simple treat," Cissnei laughed. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"'Enjoyed' is an understatement," he replied, shifting his weight to sit more comfortably. "When you haven't eaten proper food in weeks, being given _chocolate_ of all things is mind blowing."

"Well, expect more for future visits." Cissnei smiled warmly at him, inwardly pleased that he was behaving so normally despite his rather unpleasant circumstances. He had been confined in the science department for over a month, and somehow he was finding the fortitude to keep going. She had her suspicions that perhaps what she was doing really _was_ the right thing, even if it meant betraying her own workplace behind their backs. But, ShinRa's track record was hardly one to be praised, either…

"So," Genesis began, giving her a wry look, "how was work?"

"Work was work," Cissnei shrugged. "Although, Reno did tip coffee down Tseng's shirt…"

The former SOLDIER felt the corner of his mouth twitch upwards in amusement. If there was anything at all that he missed about that forsaken company, it would be interactions with co-workers…simply because most of them involved humorous situations. He hadn't experienced a laugh over social situation in…years, almost…

"…and I got stuck in the elevator."

Genesis blinked. "…really?"

Cissnei looked irritated just thinking about it. "Yes. It was most inconveniencing. I'm surprised it happened, since Reno wasn't actually with me at the time."

"That _is_ rather shocking…did it take long for them to notice and get you out?"

"About twenty minutes…but it felt like forever," the Turk mumbled, shuddering at the oppressive feelings of confinement she had experienced. "I hate tight spaces."

Genesis gave a sympathetic wince. "I can relate…"

"Anyway, they got me, and that was that," she concluded, wishing to change the subject. "And in regards to the coffee incident, perhaps that's why Tseng never takes his suit off at the beach. Burn marks."

"A very probable theory," he agreed, smirking at her. His leave had sometimes coincided with the Turks, and the rumors of a shirtless Tseng at the beach were always disproved upon his suited arrival. Genesis could remember back to those long, sunny days at Costa del Sol, unable to fathom how the man wasn't dying from heat exhaustion. His fellow colleagues at least had enough sense to enjoy the surf in respectable swimwear, including Cissnei…

"Anyway," she continued, snapping the former SOLDIER out his bikini thoughts, "…how was your day?"

Genesis resisted the urge to scoff. "It was…uneventful, and a little painful, but Hojo's wonder drugs seem to have removed any unpleasantness for the time being."

Cissnei nodded in approval, wondering where to lead the conversation next. She didn't mind the comfortable silence that settled around them, but she wished to take advantage of his considerably pleasant mood.

"I'm…just curious," she began, pausing as he glanced at her inquisitively. "How…exactly does it feel to…have wings?"

Immediately she regretted asking what she did, seeing the apparent uncertainty play about on Genesis' face. "I'm sorry…did I make you feel uncomfortable?

"No, not at all," he replied, giving her a half-smile. "It's…difficult to explain, but…I'll try. In a way, it's a bit like having an extra arm…or at least, the sensation resembles using an arm…" Carefully, he extended his feathers outward so she could see how they unfolded.

"…what about… having feathers?" Cissnei whispered, transfixed.

"Light, and airy," he murmured, taking the time to gaze at his own wing with interest. "Sometimes, I can hardly tell they're there… but if one gets ripped out before it should, I will most certainly feel it."

The Turk nodded, seeing a few gaps in his secondary and primary feathers that indicated he was speaking from experience. "You're so…lucky."

Genesis didn't respond. For the longest time, he had thought himself as monstrous, beastlike, for having an extra appendage. To be fair to his judgment, he didn't even have a pair of wings…and ever since he had discovered it, that dog of a scientist Hollander had callously referred to him as a monster, a failure, simply because of it. And…he had believed him…especially when coupling his wing with his unpredictable and beastlike degradation…

"You think?" He whispered, lightly ruffling his soft feathers.

"To fly…to escape everything that bothers you and to soar through the sky unchained…yes. You are lucky." Cissnei nodded firmly, slightly envious.

"If I ever get out of here…and before I die," he mumbled, his eyes softening at her gaze, "maybe…one day, I could take you for a fly. You deserve that much."

His sincere words made her blush profusely, but she didn't look away. "I would like that very much."

'It might…cost you a favor, though," Genesis smiled, his expression turning mischievous. Cissnei looked back at him with confusion, her face still rather pink.

"And what's that?"

The rogue SOLDIER shifted slightly closer to her. "Come closer."

His gestures were open and calm, and she trusted him, but she still wondered what he was up to. She shuffled towards him until their knees were touching. "Okay?"

"Now, stay still…" Genesis whispered, his chained hand gently touching hers. Carefully, he leaned his face towards Cissnei, until he was able to gently brush his lips against hers. Instinctively she closed her eyes, a little shy in understanding that he wanted to kiss her. Certainly, she'd already made such contact before with him, but…it was different, when he was the one who took the initiative.

But, she didn't mind. His lips were soft and smooth, and he was very gentle as he moved them against her mouth. When the fleeting moment ended and he finished, Cissnei felt her stomach overwhelmed by butterflies.

"Thank you," Genesis said simply, giving her a small smile.

The Turk found herself overcome by shyness, her once non-existent nerves spiking up a notch. "You're welcome," she responded quietly, her face burning. "I, um…if you want to do that again, I…"

"…are you alright?" He looked at her curiously.

"I wouldn't mind at all," she gushed, biting her lip. "You can ask me." Alright, so she had kissed him before, but why was it so different now?

"…can I do again?" Genesis allowed himself to smirk at her ever-reddening face.

Cissnei swallowed. She was surprised at herself for being elated he had made the request a second time. However, instead of giving him a verbal response, she simply leaned in and planted a light kiss on his pale lips.

"I'll take that as a yes," Genesis laughed, gently pressing his mouth against hers once more. Admittedly, he was tempted to take their second kiss further, but knew that in this situation their feelings, if at all, were still in the very early stages of development. She was so kind and compassionate towards him that scaring her was the last thing he wanted to do.

Cissnei, meanwhile, was a little shocked at her actions, but could not deny she liked the situation she was in. As they kissed, she felt the jolt of Genesis trying to bring his hand to her face. In sympathy, she placed her own palm against his cheek, but felt her heart squeeze as her fingers traced his skin. She could feel the old, painful scars that marred the edges of face like cracked earth.

A few more moments passed, and then Genesis gently pulled backwards, slightly out of breath. He couldn't remember the last time he'd shared such intimacy with anyone. He could only thank whatever higher power there was that fate had caused Cissnei to find him.

"That was…really nice," Cissnei breathed, embarrassed. She had vowed to prove Genesis that he could be loved…but what she was feeling was…more than that. Winged ex-SOLDIER or not, she...really _liked_ him.

"It was wonderful," he replied, feeling a tad too warm after their contact. "You have my immense gratitude."

"Oh, I didn't mind, really," she giggled, allowing herself to blush. "You might not think so, Genesis, but degradation or not…"

"…or not?" He looked at her with his eyebrows raised, a smile tugging at his lips.

"…you're still handsome." The Turk looked at him shyly.

"Oh?" Genesis felt a small amount of pride welling inside his chest.

"And…I know, deep down, your heart is good."

"I'm…not so sure about that part," he responded dully, guilt slowly creeping into his conscious once more.

"You've treated me like a gentleman would," she said simply, smiling at him, "when your head is in the right place. I don't blame you for anything degradation has caused you to do."

The former SOLDIER felt so blessed to have her understanding, since it was most rare amongst other people. In thankfulness, he gently touched his feathers around her shoulders. "Don't be so kind. You flatter me too much."

"I can't have you hating yourself for things beyond your control, can I?" Cissnei stated, looking at him reassuringly. "There's always a glimmer of hope."

"_You_…are my hope," Genesis whispered.

The Turk looked at him in surprise, her eyes wide. "…what?"

"Without you, I…would have broken," he continued, feeling shy.

"I…I don't know what to say," Cissnei replied quietly, unable to suppress her bashful smile. "I don't think I ever could have ignored you."

"And that's…why you're my hope." He looked into her eyes, managing to form his first warm smile in months.

Naturally, all she could do was blush. She hadn't really noticed before, but he…looked so sweet, smiling like that. Somehow she had managed to bypass all that anger, all that frustration and all that rage…and had found this precious side to him. _Why can't anyone else see him for who he is?_

"How sweet," Genesis laughed quietly, eyeing her cheeks.

"Oh, come here," she replied quickly, feeling rather flustered as she quickly slipped her arms around his broad shoulders. Despite her shyness, she felt her smile widen further with each little tremble of laughter he produced. Maybe she really was working wonders on him…

"I meant what I said," he mumbled into her shoulder, wriggling as close to her as he could.

"It's the least I could do," Cissnei replied, beginning to rub the downy feathers near his shoulder again. Just as she was about to continue speaking, Genesis sighed in apparent pleasure.

"Mm…that feels really good…" He closed his eyes, rapt in gentleness of her hands.

The Turk giggled slightly, caressing her fingers across the join between his shoulder and wing. He sighed again, relaxing his weight against her body.

"Is this a spot you can't really reach?" Cissnei questioned gently.

Genesis moved his hands, causing the chains around his wrists to jangle slightly. "Sadly, it's true…"

"Well, I don't mind doing this one bit, just to let you know."

"…thank you," he replied, grateful.

"Well, with your feathers being so soft and all," she smiled, "it's…hard for me to resist."

Now it was the former SOLDIER's turn to feel embarrassed. First he was still handsome, and how his feathers were soft…maybe she was buttering him up too much. But, he didn't mind. Someone finally appreciated him, and actually…_cared._

"You know what, Cissnei?"

The Turk paused for a moment. "What?"

"I really like you."

She blinked, feeling a shiver of elation shoot through her. Genesis touched his wing around her shoulders, shielding her from their harsh surroundings. For some reason, despite the implications of betray to ShinRa...Cissnei knew the feeling was mutual.

"I…really like you too, Gen," she replied, finally brave enough to use his nickname.

In response, he gently pulled backwards from their embrace, and kissed her cheek. He could never have dreamed that, with his debilitating circumstances and horrendous actions, he could be worthy of love ever again…

…but he was so thankful that he had been proved wrong.

* * *

A/N: -faints from cuteness overload-

I hope there wasn't too much fluff in there. –shifty eyes-

Anyway, I have a slightly better idea where this story is going, so anticipate developments in the coming months! [I say months because it's just under a month before university semester ends…and only then will my muse likely come back XD]

Anyway, I hope you guys loved it! –bounce-

~ Lioneh

**Disclaimer: I don't own Cissnei, Genesis or anything to do with Final Fantasy VII. :( All I own is the chocolate. **


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